Media releases

Deadline to nominate as a candidate in the 2019 federal election

Updated: 17 April 2019

The AEC issued a reminder today that individuals wishing to stand as a House of Representatives or Senate candidate in the 2019 federal election have until 12 noon Tuesday 23 April to lodge their nomination.

Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers said a correctly completed nomination form and accompanying deposit in the form of a bank cheque or cash must be received by the relevant AEC officer by the 12 noon 23 April deadline.

Alternatively, people can visit an AEC office during opening hours or call 13 23 26.

Key points

Bulk nominations

(Consisting of all House of Representatives candidates endorsed by a registered political party for a particular state or territory) are to be lodged at the office of the Australian Electoral Officer for that state or territory not less than 48 hours before the close of nominations (by 12 noon Easter Sunday 21 April).

Nominations for the Senate for a state or territory

To be lodged at the office of the Australian Electoral Officer for that state or territory by 12 noon 23 April.

Single nominations for the House of Representatives for an electoral division

To be lodged at the office of the Divisional Returning Officer for the relevant electoral division by 12 noon 23 April.

Nomination fee

The nomination fee is $2,000 per House of Representatives candidate and $2,000 per Senate candidate, and must be tendered as cash or bank cheque when the nomination form is lodged.

"I encourage people interested in nominating as a candidate to lodge their nomination as early as possible," Mr Rogers said.

To be eligible to nominate for either the Senate or the House of Representatives, a person must be an Australian citizen aged 18 years or older and an elector entitled to vote, or qualified to become such an elector; and not disqualified under section 44 of the Australian Constitution.

Candidates will be declared at 12 noon local time on 24 April at public declarations at AEC offices across Australia.

Editor’s note

Nomination deposits are returned to candidates or Senate groups standing in the 2019 federal election who are elected and/or achieve at least 4 per cent of the total number of formal first preference votes (for the relevant House of Representatives division, or in the case of the Senate, the relevant state or territory Senate election).